Does Cognitive Therapy Change the Early Maladaptive Schemas in Individuals with Alcohol Dependence? Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Although early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) have been suggested as potential vulnerability markers for alcohol dependence (AD), there is less emphasis on addressing these schemas in substance abuse treatment programs. We thus aimed to examine the change in schemas in response to cognitive therapy in individuals with AD. METHODS: In this an open-label randomized controlled study, individuals with alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS, n = 84) were randomized to the intervention group (n = 45), which received six cognitive therapy sessions combined with treatment as usual (TAU), or the control group (n = 39), which was on TAU only. Participants were assessed on the measures of EMSs, alcohol use severity, and perceived stress at baseline and posttreatment. RESULTS: The intervention group showed significant improvement in 5 out of 18 EMSs, that is, emotional deprivation, defectiveness, self-sacrifice, unrelenting standard, and negativity, compared to the control group, at the end of the treatment. There was a significant between-group effect for perceived stress but not for alcohol use severity. CONCLUSION: EMSs can be changed with cognitive therapy in individuals with AD and could be a crucial area to address in treatment programs. Further studies with long-term follow-up are warranted. The trial was registered with the Clinical Trials Registry—India (CTRI/2015/12/006441) on December 17, 2015.